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Those who upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8, or buy a machine with it already installed, may be surprised to learn that the operating system does not offer DVD playback as a default. As with Vista and XP before it, you must install your own to watch a DVD movie, unless your computer vendor included the necessary decoders and software. Fortunately, there are several free applications that will allow you to watch your favorite movies on your computer.

VLC Media Player

VLC is a free and open-source multimedia player developed by the VideoLan Organization. It is one of the most-popular alternative multimedia players because of its price and its cross-platform nature. VLC can play most types of media files available, along with CDs and DVDs. During playback, it can skip unwanted sections of a DVD, such as the previews.

Media Player Classic – Home Cinema

Designed to look like an early version of Windows Media Player, the Home Cinema version of Media Player Classic, MPC-HC, is a free and open-source media player that is extremely lightweight compared to many others. It is available for most versions of Windows and, in addition to DVDs, it can play most other popular multimedia formats. One of its most unique features is the ability to shut down the computer automatically after a video is finished playing.

KMPlayer

KMPlayer is a popular ad-supported media player developed in South Korea and available for free. It plays nearly any type of media file and includes support for both DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs. KMPlayer features many advanced audio and video options, such as 3-D support, though the presence of ads in the standard playback window may be distracting to some. During installation, at the “Choose Components” section, deselect the “Grid Network” option and near the end of the installation decline “Free Ride Games” to avoid installing unnecessary ad software.

GOM Player

Like KMPlayer, GOM Player is an ad-supported free media player, though it does not include any ads in the player window itself. It is very lightweight and plays most media formats in addition to DVDs. If it encounters an unknown file, it will offer to find codecs necessary to play it. During installation, deselect the option to “Improve Your Internet Security," which will install an AVG toolbar, and click “Cancel” to skip the trial version of GOM Video Converter.

XBMC Media Center

For those who typically use Windows Media Center for DVD playback, the free and open-source alternative is XBMC. Like Media Center, it is designed to operate on a TV using a remote control. XBMC plays most types of multimedia files natively and includes full DVD support. With a TV tuner and the necessary plugins, it can also display live TV and act as a DVR.

Warnings

Be sure to download these programs from their official sites. Some nefarious websites may offer these programs bundled with illegitimate applications that often include spyware or Trojan viruses. This is especially true with the various “Codec Packs.” Legitimate ones are hard to find, but do exist, such as the free K-Lite or CCCP, which can add DVD playback directly to Windows Media Player.

About the Author

David L. Secor is a computer repairman and writer from west Texas. He has been writing informational articles on a wide variety of subjects since approximately 2005. When not writing, he scours the desert for interesting photos, often ending up with nothing but embedded thorns for his efforts.